Selena Gomez Talks Final 'Wizard Of Waverly Place' Episode, Music & Her Very Grown-Up New Movie

I remember when The Wizards of Waverly Placedebuted on The Disney Channel. Selena Gomez was an up and coming young star, obviously destined for great things since she was chosen as the lead on the magical young sitcom, but no one could have predicted she’d become a movie star, chart topping singer and celebrity girlfriend.

Gomez has filmed the last episode of The Wizards of Waverly Place, although the show will surely continue to air daily on The Disney Channel for new fans to discover. Before the holidays, Gomez spoke about the show to reflect on her years as a Wizard. She was under the weather, but as cheery and delightful as always.

Selena Gomez: Hello everybody. I am sick so I apologize for sounding nasally.

Q: Well you look lovely as always.

SG: Thank you! That is the power of hair and make up.

Q: What have been the surprises along the way when you look back on your time on the show?

SG: It has been fun, it has been crazy, it has been great. We had a great run and being able to say that I was on a show for four years and got to be with great cast is a thing that a lot of people can’t say. I feel verygrateful for that.

Q: What has been your most magical memory or one moment that you will look back on and will make you smile?

SG: The laughs. When we messed around with each other. It was never one distinct memory, we had a lot of memories every day.

Q: How emotional was the last day?

SG: It was very emotional. On the last day we only finished the series with us three. Everybody else had series wrapped already so it was just us three and Jake. We went in and I was trying to avoid it as much as I could. I was trying not to think about it and just continue to do the scene and whenever they said that was a series wrap on my character and then listening to them wrap was really hard. I just started crying and I couldn’t stop. The two guys were like macho men not crying.

Q: What about the day after you wrapped?

SG: David Henrie texted me and was like, “I feel like I’ve just broken up with a girlfriend.” It was weird.

Q: Did you get to keep your wand?

SG: Yeah, it was a gift from the producers on the show, they gave me, David and Jake our wands in a little glass case with a little engraving, it was nice.

Q: Did the show end the way you wanted it to? Did the right person become the family wizard?

SG: I think it was good, I think it was right what they did.

Q: You got to do so many different things, what were your favorite episodes along the way?

SG: I never really had a favorite episode, I remember season three because that was my favorite because we all had our groove, it wasn’t the end, we knew we were going to do another one and we all just played against each other and were just wanting to make each other better. It was the best season I think and all of that was my favorite.

Q: You have a song in the charts that is quickly climbing the music charts.

SG: I do, yes.

Q: Is it surreal for you when you look at your career at this point because you have so many things going on?

SG: Sure, I’m very blessed. I love what I do. I love it. Especially music, it was something I was passionate about but I did not expect it to take off as well as it did so I am very thankful for that as well. Doing both has been good for me, I like it.

Q: With so many music shows on now, how does it feel to hear some of your songs performed by regular people like The Fannin Family on The Sing-Off?

SG: A lot of the times it is better than how I do it, so that is why I like it. It is fun, they give me ideas. It is really cool to see on YouTube a bunch of my fans covering my songs because you get to see in their eyes how they interpret what I sing, what my lyrics mean and what that means for them. So it is really special. It’s cool.

Q: Are you doing the movie Spring Breakers with Harmony Korine now?

SG: Yeah… I know. [Laughs] I watched all of his films. I had to fight for that role because I flew to his house in Nashville and watched all his movies. I was like, “I want to be in your movie” and he auditioned me for like an hour or two hours and it was awesome. Then I got the part so I am excited. It is something that is very dark and is very different and I am excited to be able to work with him. Of course he is the person that is going to create all of this and he is going to help me and James Franco, Vanessa [Hudgens], Emma [Roberts] and all those people. They are all going to be so great to work against and the script is [great]. People are going to be a little surprised.”

Q: Is this going to knock your fan base on its ear a little bit?

SG: Well, the good thing about that is that it is an independent film. So it will go to film festivals but it won’t be so easy access to the younger audience. They can’t go to the movies to watch that unless they went somewhere, so it wont be so much about that. It will be more for me just doing something that I am passionate about.

Q: Did you have any special traditions on filming nights in front of the live audience?

SG: We’d go right back before we’d do intros and we would just get together and do a quick prayer. It was nice.

Q: Computers are such a big part of everyone’s lives now. How lost would you be without your laptop?

SG: I watch my shows and movies on there, I stay connected with my family on iChat and everything so that is my life.

Q: What are you doing in the New Year’s Eve show?

SG: I am excited, it is going to be fun. I’m singing and we do the countdown and I will be with Demi [Lovato] and it will be fun. I’m excited.

Q: Have you ever been in Times Square before on New Year?

SG: Nope.

Photo Credits: PR Photos; Disney

Sign up for our daily newsletter with great stories like this and more!